Who is He This Time
by Another Tracy
Summary: HM Shipper - Meredith needs help with a lesson plan (FINISHED)
1. Default Chapter

Title: Who Is He This Time? Author: Another Tracy Rating: PG-13 Classification: H/M Shipper Spoilers: Anything including and after "Exculpatory Evidence" through season 8. Summary: Meredith needs some help bringing Shakespeare to life for her students. Author's notes: Apologies and thanks to Kurt Vonnegut, author of "Who Am I This Time?" a short story in the collection "Welcome to the Monkey House" which is a must-read, and the inspiration for this story. My apologies to anyone not familiar with American pop culture of the late '60's and '70's. There are a few references in here that might have some folks scratching their heads. Email me for explanations.  
  
A long walk to the well, but I promise a refreshing drink!!!  
  
Admiral Chegwidden's Office JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA Tuesday, 2 September 1500 Zulu  
  
"AJ, it would be so helpful to me. It's entirely voluntary," Meredith pleaded. "Your officers would not be obligated to participate."  
  
"Meredith, if you think my officers are not going to feel obligated to their C.O.'s fiancé," AJ warned. "You have learned nothing from me about military life in 18 months together."  
  
"But it will be fun," Meredith continued. "I'm sure they'd love to do it!"  
  
AJ sighed. She could be persistent, and he was likely to end up in the doghouse with Dammit if he didn't give in on this. 'Pick your battles' he thought. 'Save it for the wedding plans, when she wants Elizabethan costumes.'  
  
"Tiner," the Admiral barked into his intercom. "Please ask Rabb, MacKenzie, Roberts, Simms, Turner and Coates to report to my office immediately. You may join us as well."  
  
He turned to Meredith. "I'm going to invite them over for a little barbeque this weekend, and you can pitch it to them then."  
  
Meredith gave a little jump and a yelp "AJ! Thank you so much!" she gushed. "It will all be terrific, I promise." With that, she sped out of the office, greeting AJ's staff as they trooped past her into his office.  
  
As the officers and enlisted all came to attention in front of his desk AJ quickly signaled them to stand at ease. "You are all invited to a barbeque at my home on Saturday evening, 18:00. You need bring nothing except yourselves, and if any of you wishes to bring a date, feel free to do so. Tiner, please keep track of the RSVPs for me, so that I know how many to cook for."  
  
Tiner nodded "Yes, Sir."  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
"Thank you, sir." The group chorused as they filed out of the office.  
  
"That's strange," Mac said as she and Harm picked their way through the bullpen back toward their offices. "If the Admiral was going to have a get- together, why didn't he do it last weekend? Labor Day is a traditional picnic weekend."  
  
Harm shrugged. "He's the boss, it's his prerogative."  
  
He hesitated outside Mac's office as she continued on to walk behind her desk and pick up a file. He stepped forward to stand just inside the frame of the door. "Uh, by the way," he started, a little uncertain. "Were you going to, uh, you know, uh, bring a date?"  
  
"Not unless I can tear Jingo away from his plans," Mac chuckled, not picking up on Harm's tone. "You want to ride together?" She was reading the folder in her hand, and hadn't really processed the possibility that a) he might bring a date or b) he was worried she might bring a date.  
  
"Yeah, sounds good," He let out a breath. "I'll pick you up at 17:30, ok?"  
  
"Deal."  
  
Admiral Chegwidden's Home McLean, VA Saturday, 6 September 0100 Zulu  
  
Most of the JAG staff was sitting either on lawn chairs or at the picnic table with plates of grilled chicken, salmon and vegetables. The Admiral and Meredith were refilling drinks and once everyone was settled, they came to stand in the middle of the group.  
  
"May I have your attention, please?" AJ started. "I am glad all of you were able to join us this evening, I hope everyone is enjoying themselves. I confess that I had an ulterior motive in inviting you here. Meredith would like to ask a favor, but I must stress that you are under NO obligation to participate in what she is going to ask of you. Meredith, now that I've scared the heck out of them, do you want to explain what it is you need help with?"  
  
"AJ! You surely did scare them!" Meredith laughed, looking at the startled and nervous faces of the people she was coming to think of as friends. "As you know, I teach Shakespeare at George Mason. Each year I try to think of new ways to bring these wonderful 500 year-old plays to life for my incoming freshmen. I am hoping that this year, some of you might consent to help me."  
  
Not seeing anyone rushing for their cars, she plunged in. "I wonder if any of you might consider participating in readings of the plays for my students? There is something about hearing the poetry of specific scenes read aloud, in character, that is especially moving and valuable to the study of Shakespeare."  
  
Sturgis was the first to speak. "Professor Cavanaugh, would you need time from our work day?" He looked at the Admiral with some apprehension.  
  
"No, Sturgis," Meredith assured him. "This would be a special program, one night a month, for extra credit for the students who are either struggling, or simply hoping for a better grade. And please call me Meredith?"  
  
"In that case, ma'am, I'd be happy to participate," Sturgis offered with a smile. The rest of the guests looked at him with surprise. "I've always loved Shakespeare, and feel strongly about education. This is something I would like to do," he explained, and turning back to Meredith he continued. "If you don't mind, I'll check to see if Congresswoman Latham would like to join in the effort?"  
  
"Oh, Sturgis, that would be wonderful!" Meredith beamed.  
  
Lieutenants Roberts & Sims, who were entertaining AJ and their new little girl, spoke up next. "Ma'am, uh, Meredith," Bud started. "We'd love to help, but with a new baby, that's probably not realistic."  
  
"I understand, Bud," Meredith said with a smile. "I expected that answer from you two, but I was glad AJ included you in the invitation. You are like his family, a family I want to be a part of, too, if you let me." Harriet returned her smile; she liked to see everyone paired off and happy. Bud was convinced that Harriet's vision of the world included a strict adherence to the principle of Noah's Ark: two by two.  
  
"Meredith," Mac started. "I'd like to help, but I confess I've never done anything like this before."  
  
"Mac, anytime you make a closing statement, you are acting," Meredith laughed. "You'll be fine, and you would make an amazing Beatrice. But that means that I need a Benedick," She finished, looking pointedly at Harm.  
  
"OK, I'm in. It'll be fun. I used to do a little acting in high school," Harm smiled. "But we don't have to wear costumes, do we?" An nightmarish vision of tights flashed through his head as he frowned apprehensively.  
  
"No, it's just readings of the plays," Meredith explained. "With that in mind, though, you will want to read the plays ahead of time, and rehearse the dialogue with your partner so that you are comfortable with the text."  
  
With Jason Tiner and Jennifer Coates' agreement to participate as well, plans were made to get together later in the week to discuss which scenes from which plays, who would be read which parts, and the schedule for the readings.  
  
Mac's Apartment Georgetown 0300 Zulu  
  
Harm walked Mac to her door, as he always did. With an offer of a cup of tea and some homemade cookies, she lured him into her apartment. As she put the tea kettle on the stove and got a plate out for cookies, Harm walked Jingo. He didn't like her out late at night; even with a dog for protection; even in a neighborhood as reasonably safe as hers.  
  
Hanging up Jingo's leash by the door, Harm toed off his sneakers to make himself at home, as he always did at Mac's. Mac smiled at the familiar gesture as she came into the living room with the refreshments and placed the wooden tray on the coffee table. Harm sat on one side of the sofa with his arm across the back.  
  
"So, m'lady," Harm gestured for Mac to join him on the sofa. "Whaddya think? Much ado about nothing?" He grinned at her, pleased with his little joke, grabbing a cookie and munching away merrily.  
  
"Har, har, Commander," Mac chuckled back at him, sipping her tea. "Have you read the play? Or did you see the film?"  
  
"I read it in English lit," Harm admitted. "There's a movie?" He remembered that Beatrice and Benedick ended up together at the end, but couldn't remember how they got there.  
  
"Yes, with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson?" She teased. "Well, it just so happens that 'Much Ado' is one of my personal favorites. And I think it's particularly ironic that you and I would play these characters."  
  
"OK, Mac, you have me at a disadvantage," Harm arched an eyebrow at her, warning her to spill. "Give me the scoop on the play."  
  
"Oh no," She grinned. "You'll have to figure this one out all on your own. NO, NO Harm!" She screeched as Harm came at her sides, fingers wiggling and tickling her. "Stop! Stop it!" She begged, laughing so hard that tears ran down her face.  
  
"You give?" Harm asked, holding her down with his weight on her, one arm holding her across her middle to keep her arms from fighting him, still tickling with his free hand.  
  
"NO! Never!" Mac laughed harder. "But if you don't stop, I'm going pee my pants!"  
  
Laughing himself, Harm let her up and as soon as she was sitting upright, she slapped his shoulder. "Stinker!" she cried.  
  
"And on that note, I leave you m'lady," Harm stood and bowed to her with a sweeping gesture.  
  
Escorting Harm to the door, she gave him a quick hug before sending him on his way. As she closed the door behind him, she leaned her back against it with her arms around her waist. She took just a moment to remember his weight on her, his arms around her. Even in play, it was a very nice feeling. With a little happy sigh, she flicked off the light and headed for bed.  
  
George Mason University Robinson Hall Fairfax, VA Wednesday, 10 September 0100 Zulu  
  
The group had gathered in a meeting room down the hall from Meredith's office. Meredith distributed a schedule for rehearsals and performances. The first piece would be excerpts from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in which Bobbie and Sturgis would perform as Titania and Oberon in early October. They all laughed that Tiner and Coates would be considered a little too old for the parts, but they would still be playing the balcony scene from "Romeo and Juliet" in November. Harm and Mac would finish the semester in early December by portraying Beatrice and Benedick in "Much Ado About Nothing".  
  
Each pair would have about four weeks to prepare for the reading. The readings would take place on the first or second Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm, and based on past experience, Meredith said to expect anywhere from 10 to 20 students. She said that any questions that they asked, she would be prepared to answer, but she would also be happy to hear their insights into the plays as well.  
  
Meredith also distributed copied of the plays and made arrangements with Bobbie and Sturgis to get together to discuss the text and begin the preparations for their reading.  
  
"Would anyone mind," Mac looked around the group tentatively. "If the others came to watch their respective performances? I just think it would be helpful to understand what it's going to be like . . . " she trailed off. She wasn't sure how she'd feel about having Sturgis, Bobbie, Jason or Jen in the room when she and Harm did their reading, but she figured it would be worth it if it meant she were better prepared.  
  
Harm was startled by her suggestion, but the others nodded. Even Bobbie and Sturgis, who would not benefit from the option, agreed. Their assignments in hand, the group dispersed.  
  
Harm slid behind the wheel of his SUV after opening Mac's door for her. They had come to the meeting together straight from JAG Headquarters, still in uniform. "Thanks for the built-in humiliation factor, Mac," he said. "Do you realize how much mileage Sturgis is going to get out of this? I would have appreciated a little warning, partner."  
  
"Harm, you will have just as much ammo on him," Mac countered. "And don't forget, he's playing the fairy king!" They both burst out laughing at that. "Buy you dinner, flyboy?" Mac said as they settled down and Harm started toward Georgetown.  
  
"I'm really tired, Mac."  
  
Mac focused on a point far ahead of them, trying not to let her disappointment show.  
  
"Do you mind if we just pick up something and eat at Chez MacKenzie?" Harm finished.  
  
"Sure, Harm, what do you feel like?" Mac grabbed his arm and felt it, an old joke between them.  
  
"Very funny, Marine," Harm smirked. "How about if we stop at that Italian place down the street from your apartment? Maybe they can whip us up some manicotti, or something like that?"  
  
"And a tiramisu chaser!" Mac interjected. "They have amazing desserts."  
  
"You and your sweet tooth." Harm shook his head. "How do you put away the groceries you do and still look so great is beyond me. You'd put Jethroe Bodine to shame!"  
  
Ignoring his crack, Mac smiled. "You think I look great?" She asked shyly.  
  
"Come on, Mac, a guy would have to be three days dead not to see how beautiful you are."  
  
Her eyes opened wide, but she didn't dare look at him. 'Ah, sweet mystery of life at last I found him' came Madeline Kahn's voice in her head. 'Does it get any better than Harmon Rabb telling you that you are beautiful?' If asked later, she could have not told anyone what they ate or discussed for the rest of the evening.  
  
As she got ready for bed, she tried to go over the previous few hours with Harm. She could only hope she didn't embarrass herself. After Harm's description of her appearance, it was all a blank.  
  
Over the following weeks, Mac re-read the play, familiarizing herself with the story and the dialogue. Harm had been away on a carrier for two weeks, and then in Norfolk for another two weeks. When he finally got back, it was time for Sturgis and Bobbi's reading, and he and Mac decided to go together. Harm hadn't had the opportunity to look at "Much Ado" yet.  
  
George Mason University Lecture Hall Wednesday, 8 October 0130 Zulu  
  
Bobbi and Sturgis were seated on stools on the floor of the lecture hall. Meredith was in the first row, about 15 students were scattered throughout the room. Mac, Harm, Jen and Jason were sitting together in a row in the back of the room, in civilian dress.  
  
"Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania." Sturgis' deep voice boomed.  
  
"What, jealous Oberon? Fairies, skip hence. I have foresworn his bed and company." Bobbi responded haughtily.  
  
They continued the fiery exchange between the fairy king and queen, and when they were finished, the students applauded enthusiastically. Meredith stood to answer the students' questions. Bobbi and Sturgis looked pleased with the response they had received. Their colleagues in the back of the room had joined in the applause and were duly impressed with the performances.  
  
As the group walked out to the parking lot together they congratulated the two readers on their accomplishment. "Sir, that was REALLY good!" Jen gushed to Sturgis.  
  
To be continued . . . 


	2. Bobbi & Sturgis take the stage

Mac's Apartment Georgetown Wednesday, 8 October 0330 Zulu  
  
"So, Mac, whaddya think?" Harm queried as she opened the door to her apartment. She had invited him in for a quick cup of tea before setting off for his own place. "Can we achieve the high standard that Bobbi & Sturgis set for us tonight?" "Laugh now, flyboy," Mac retorted on her way into the kitchen. "But they did a very nice job. I was impressed. Weren't you?"  
  
"Yeah, actually, I was," Harm smiled, sitting at the table. "I didn't know Sturgis had it in him."  
  
"Harm, we really need to take a little time to go over the play before we have to meet with Meredith for the first time next month. Have you even read the play yet?"  
  
"No, but I'll read it this weekend, I promise," he said. "Why don't we get together Sunday? I'll buy you breakfast and we can talk about it then."  
  
"Deal." Mac settled his teacup in front of him.  
  
Mother's Restaurant Georgetown October 12, 2003 1600 Zulu  
  
Mac was scraping the last of the cheese from her "kitchen sink" omelet off of her plate with her fork as Harm looked on in amazement. She had downed not only the enormous omelet, but also hash browns, a side of sausage, three pancakes, and even the orange used to garnish the omelet. 'She is a human vacuum. A gorgeous, shapely, human vacuum. Where does she put it all? And wherever it is, will she let me touch her there?'  
  
"Uh, Mac," Harm started, blushing a little at the direction of his thoughts. "If you can talk around the feedbag, I'm ready to discuss the play."  
  
Mac dabbed at her mouth with her napkin daintily. "I have to keep my strength up, squid. If I want to keep up with you, that is!" She finished with a little twinkle in her eye. 'How can I resist that smile?' He chuckled in response.  
  
"OK, OK. Do we know which scene we're going to be asked to perform," he asked. "Or do we get to pick one? Do you know?"  
  
"I think Meredith was planning for us to do Act 4, Scene 1," Mac said, referring to the book in her hand. "Right after Hero is denounced at the wedding."  
  
"I kind of thought it might be that one," Harm referred to his text as well. "But I have to admit, I really like that last scene. It's funny."  
  
"Yeah, I like that one too. Actually, it's hard to pick one. I like their other exchanges as well. Do you see now why it's so ironic that we are reading these parts?" Mac teased.  
  
"I suppose you are referring to the fact that they fight a lot?" Harm asked with a smile.  
  
Mac grinned back at him, 'Well, you got half of it, anyway.'  
  
George Mason University Lecture Hall Wednesday, 5 November 0130 Zulu  
  
They were gathered again in the lecture hall, this time for Tiner and Coates' reading as Romeo and Juliet. Word must have spread about how good the last reading was, as the room was quite a bit more crowded than last time. Harm, Mac, Sturgis and Bobbi were grateful that they had arrived early enough to get seats together in the back. There were probably 75 students in the lecture hall.  
  
Meredith welcomed the students and reminded them of the requirements associated with getting extra credit for the reading program. She then set- up the scene the students were about to hear, and introduced Jennifer and Jason.  
  
They began the scene tentatively, not quite as loud as they might have been. Clearly they were nervous. Unlike the others, they didn't make a living talking. But it worked anyway; Romeo and Juliet's youth showed through. As they read through the balcony scene, they became more confident. This also fit the scene, as Romeo became bolder in his wooing of Juliet and Juliet flirted with Romeo.  
  
"Here comes my favorite part," Mac whispered to Harm.  
  
"How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore? The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, and the place death, considering who thou art," Jen questioned her Romeo prettily. "If any of my kinsmen find thee here."  
  
Jason looked up into Jen's eyes as he read the next line, "With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out."  
  
Harm heard a soft sound and turned to see Mac's eyes filled with tears and her mouthing the words along with Tiner. Startled, but not wanting to embarrass her, he turned back to pay attention to the readers.  
  
"And what love can do, that dares love attempt; therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me!"  
  
The scene continued, but Harm suspected that these were the lines that were Mac's "favorite". Harm looked back to see her wiping her eyes. He reached into his pocket to pull out a handkerchief and handed it to her. She glanced at him, blushing, and mouthed "thank you." He returned his eyes to the front, and when she finished dabbing her eyes, she slipped the hanky back into his hand, giving it a little squeeze at the same time. He squeezed back, and slipped the hanky into his pocket.  
  
When the reading was finished, the applause was thunderous, and the students moved to their feet as one. After the requisite question and answer period, during which time everyone had taken their seats again, the JAG friends had remained seated waiting for the room to clear and for Jason and Jen to join them again.  
  
"Do you want to go for coffee, Sir, Ma'am?" Jen bubbled excitedly.  
  
Harm looked at his companions and seeing their smiling nods, answered for them, "Sure, let's go!"  
  
Starbucks Georgetown Wednesday, 5 November 0330 Zulu  
  
"You guys were perfect!" Bobbi said laughingly as the ladies took their seats. Harm, Sturgis and Jason were waiting for their beverages. "Really, Jennifer, I was so touched by your performances!"  
  
"It was beautiful, Jen," Mac agreed. Harm appeared at her elbow with her cocoa.  
  
"You two were right for those parts," Harm picked up the thread of the conversation as he took a seat next to Mac. Jen blushed, but lifted her chin and looked at Tiner with a triumphant smile. 'Mmmh,' thought Harm. 'There's a story there. Oh well, Mac will get to the bottom of it, and then she'll tell me.'  
  
"'With love's light wings did o'erperch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out'" Mac signed, looking up, her eyes suspiciously bright. "I'm sorry, but that line of Romeo's gets me every time. 'And what love can do, that dares love attempt' God, Shakespeare was a GENIUS."  
  
Everyone laughed good naturedly at Mac's enthusiasm, and the group agreed that the second program had been a rousing success. To be continued . . . 


	3. Tiner & Coates turn

Admiral Chegwidden's Home McLean, VA Friday, 7 November 0130 Zulu  
  
"AJ, you should have been there!" Meredith babbled happily. "The program is going so well, and attracting a lot of attendees. Bobbi and Sturgis were wonderful in the first reading, but Jennifer and Jason . . . well, it was INSPIRED."  
  
AJ began to clear the dinner table of dishes, Meredith following him into the kitchen with the leftovers. "I understand that you had quite a crowd Wednesday night," he asked over his shoulder. "Do you have that many students that need the extra credit? What kind of tyrant are you?" He finished with a smile. Anyone who is as big a softie as Meredith is, teaching Shakespeare, couldn't be too much of an ogre in the classroom.  
  
"Wait until I tell you. The students are required to submit an essay within one week of the reading that they attended," Meredith explained. "After the first reading, when there were about 15 students present, I got 11 essays. That's normal. A few students realize that they don't want the grade that much, or they drop the class. The deadline was today for papers from last Wednesday's reading," Meredith paused.  
  
AJ looked at her expectantly, wondering what the big mystery could be.  
  
"I estimated about 75 students to be in attendance last Wednesday. I've only received 7 papers," she finished triumphantly.  
  
AJ looked puzzled. "Do you think that the Romeo and Juliet scene was a difficult one to write an essay on, that so many students didn't bother to submit one?" he queried. He personally thought it was probably an easier scene to write about than the Midsummer scene could have been.  
  
"I wasn't sure, but I would have been surprised to find that to be the case, or at least with that many students finding it to be a problem," she replied thoughtfully. "No, it didn't sit well with me, so I did a little sleuthing. And I found out something pretty interesting."  
  
She looked up at him with a happy smile as she began loading the dishwasher. "It turns out that word got around about the first reading. The students that attended spoke so well of it that not only did the students from the English Department show up in droves, but the theater majors decided to check it out as well. Hence, our nearly full house."  
  
"Wow, that's great, isn't it?" AJ said, putting a fresh bowl of water down for Dammit. "Quite a feather in your cap? Maybe they'll want to make this some sort of regular program."  
  
"Oh, I don't know, but I'm very pleased just the same," Meredith said, leaning back against the counter. "I think it's a feather in the cap of your officers, AJ. I wish you could have seen Jen and Jason, it was really touching, sweet . . . just a perfect picture of young love."  
  
AJ looked a little startled. 'Uh-oh. Does that mean something is going on between my Petty Officers? Things aren't bad enough that I have to deal with Lieutenants Sims' and Roberts' love life, and Harm and Mac's fireworks, now I have to deal with this, too? God help me.'  
  
"The best part is, though, that word continues to spread," Meredith continued excitedly. "It's been recommended that we get a bigger lecture hall for the next reading!"  
  
"This is Rabb and Mackenzie's reading of Much Ado, right?" AJ asked. Meredith nodded her assent and AJ continued. "I may attend this one myself. I have to say, Meredith, your casting for this one was inspired. If only we could manage, as their friends did, to bring our Beatrice and Benedick to see their love for one another."  
  
"Who says we can't?" Meredith smiled, turning off the light as they headed up to bed.  
  
George Mason University Robinson Hall Fairfax, VA Wednesday, 12 November 0130 Zulu  
  
"Harm, Mac, come in, please," Meredith welcomed them to her office, beckoning them to sit in the chairs opposite her desk. "I trust that you've read the play?" They both nodded in agreement. "Well, the task now is to practice reading the scene so that when you do it for the group, you'll be comfortable, and add the proper inflection in the proper place. First, though, do you have any questions about this scene?"  
  
Mac spoke up. "I confess, Meredith, this is a funny scene in a way isn't it? I mean funny as in 'weird' not like 'comical'."  
  
"How so, Mac?" Meredith asked. Harm listened, not having anything to offer yet until he heard more of what Mac was thinking.  
  
"Well, there's this confession of love," Mac struggled not to blush; this was hitting a little close to home. "But then there's this charge to kill Claudio. It just seems so strange to declare one's love in one breath and then to say 'if you love me, you'll kill someone'."  
  
"I see what you mean," Meredith slipped into her professorial tone. "But I think one might say that Beatrice's nerves are very raw. She's emotionally quite vulnerable, and able to admit her feelings to Benedick in this moment. But she's also affected by her cousin's plight. She's angry, and would like to avenge Hero's wrong herself. As she cannot, she now calls upon the man who claims to be her 'knight in shining armor' as it were."  
  
"Maybe it's a test?" Harm offered. Both women looked at him. "Maybe she's been alone so long that she doesn't trust him, so she offers him this test." He wasn't sure it was a good idea to continue this thread; it sounded a lot like . . .  
  
"That makes sense, too," Mac agreed, to Harm's surprise. "She does start to walk away from him when he balks at taking the challenge." 'Reminds me of a conversation on the Guadalcanal.' she thought, struggling again with her emotions. Little did she know that Harm's thoughts had turned to that fateful conversation as well.  
  
"Well, you two are putting a lot of thought into this, aren't you?" Meredith smiled, shaking them out of their respective thoughts of the past. "I'm thrilled; I know your reading will be wonderful. Do you have any more questions at this point?"  
  
They looked at one another for a moment and Mac answered "No," for both of them.  
  
"Well, then, you can work on it at your convenience. If you want a quiet place to meet and practice reading aloud, let me know and I can set aside a classroom for you any time. Otherwise, I would like to meet with you one more time before the reading to make sure everything's ready. Of course, if you have any more questions, you can call me and we can meet before then." She finished, standing to signal they were finished. Harm and Mac rose with her, ready to go home after a long day themselves.  
  
To be continued . . . 


	4. Harm and Mac get ready

Mac's Apartment Georgetown 14 November 2003 20:30 Eastern  
  
Harm and Mac had decided to start working on their reading after a dinner of lo mein and egg foo yung. Dishes in the dishwasher and table cleared, they pulled out their texts and began to read their respective parts to themselves in preparation for their dialogue.  
  
"Harm," Mac said. "I should have asked Meredith the other night, but how do you suppose this line is supposed to be read?" She pointed to a line in her book, leaning toward Harm. He got up and moved around the corner of the table to stand behind her. He leaned over her shoulder to read what she was pointing to. It was little hard to focus with the heady combination of her perfume and the angle allowing him a glimpse down her sweater. He couldn't really see anything, but his breath quickened at the cleavage exposed to him.  
  
Forcing himself to look at the page before he actually started to drool on her shoulder he asked, "What are you pointing at, Mac?"  
  
"Right here," she said. "'manhood is melted into curtsies'. I think I'm calling you a girly-man, squid!" she laughed.  
  
"Very funny," Harm smirked and sat back down, the spell broken. "I think I recover well, in the end."  
  
"True, true," Mac returned, still laughing.  
  
They got along so well now. Over the last year or so, they had settled into a comfortable routine that involved dinner a couple of times a week, weekends spent in his plane, running, picnics, and trips to the museums to 'look at bones' as Harm referred to Mac's love of paleontology. She wasn't sure if they were going anywhere with the relationship, but she didn't see any need to rock the boat either. They'd been through such a rough time in the past few years; she just wanted to enjoy their friendship again.  
  
They read the scene together, still joking and laughing late into the evening. Agreeing to meet for a run and then breakfast, they decided they had done enough work on their scene for the time being, and said goodnight.  
  
Mac's Apartment Georgetown 16 November 2003 18:30 Eastern  
  
Mac spent her Sunday with Harm, having convinced him that getting in some early Christmas shopping would pay off in the long run. She couldn't believe he'd agreed. They met at the Pentagon Mall, had lunch in the food court, and picked up gifts for Bud, Harriet, and little AJ. Harm found a golf club that he knew his stepfather Frank had been looking for, and Mac bought a book on fossils to send to her Uncle Matt. They didn't finish all of their shopping, but they had accomplished quite a bit.  
  
Harm helped Mac up to her apartment with her packages. At Mac's suggestion, he brought his gifts upstairs, too. She suggested that he come over one afternoon or evening in the coming weeks and they could wrap them all together.  
  
"Mac," Harm said, after putting the bags in the closet. "I'm going to head home. I feel like I just spent a day in boot camp, for crying out loud. How can shopping be so tiring?"  
  
"No guts, no glory, sailor," Mac smiled. She was tired, too, so she walked him to the door. "Thanks for helping me bring everything upstairs."  
  
"Anytime, jarhead," Harm slipped his arms around her for a quick hug. That was a bit of a surprise for Mac, but nothing compared to her surprise when, as he pulled back from the hug, he leaned in to brush a kiss to her forehead. He flashed her a tired smile and then headed down the hall to the steps.  
  
Mac held the door open for a minute to watch him walk away with a dazed smile on her face. At the end of the hall, he turned again to see her standing there. He stopped and faced her. "Go inside and lock the door," He ordered. "I'm not leaving until I hear that click."  
  
Mac eyes started to well up at the tenderness of the gesture, and she lowered her head quickly and laughed to cover herself. She then offered him a crooked smile, a "Good night, Harm," and closed the door. She turned the deadbolt until it clicked. Outside Harm turned again, and continued down the steps.  
  
Mac's POV:  
  
How is it possible to love him more everyday? How is it possible for him to do yet another thing that will make me love him even more today than I did yesterday? He is so protective of me, even when I tell he doesn't have to, I'm a marine, I can handle it. And I can. But it's so nice to know that he's there for me whenever I need him, and even when I don't.  
  
'I do love nothing in the world so well as you' Benedick says to Beatrice. It's not Harm saying it to Sarah. But sometimes . . . sometimes it seems as if I am precious to him. Just now, looking at me in the hallway, his look was almost possessive. But I'm probably seeing what I want to see, not what's right in front of me. If he felt that way, why wouldn't he just tell me? I've certainly tacked my heart onto my sleeve often enough. Heck if I'm going to be stepping out onto that limb anytime soon.  
  
Even so, I think I'll be able to say my line 'I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest' more easily than I can sit there calmly while he reads Benedick's line that he loves me more than anything. Confessing the truth to him in the name of a fictional character will be a walk in the park compared to hearing the man I love so very much say the words I so very much want to hear, knowing that he's not really saying them, not to me.  
  
Recognizing that she was starting to talk herself into a case of the blues, Mac shook herself out of the mood. 'Some people never have a friend at all, much less a friendship like ours. If that's all there is, so be it.' With a soft smile, she moved to the bathroom to treat herself to a bubble bath, to smooth out the rough edges of the day, and bubble away the blues.  
  
Harm's POV  
  
Walking away from her gets harder every time. I'm really tired tonight, and so was she, so it wasn't quite as difficult as it usually is. But if she'd offered, I'd have curled up right there on her floor, wrapped around her, in a heartbeat.  
  
I'm beginning to question the wisdom of getting involved with this play reading business. It's almost torture, saying all of these things to Beatrice as Benedick, when I want to say them to Sarah as Harm. What would she do? Probably run away again. I've screwed up so many times with her I couldn't blame her.  
  
Our friendship is at its best right now, and we are really enjoying each other. Best to leave well enough alone, and take what she's willing to give me.  
  
*************** Following that one practice session during which nothing was really accomplished, work assignments conspired to keep Harm and Mac apart. It was not possible for them to practice their scene, except over the phone. They actually tried it once but each time they got started, one of them would start laughing. They gave up, content instead to catch up on one another's activities. They were supposed to meet with Meredith the week before the reading, but it had to be Mac alone, as Harm was on an investigation at Miramar. Meredith reviewed some of the logistics and asked if Mac had any questions, or knew if Harm did. Figuring that they both had done enough improvising in a court room, she assured Meredith that they would be fine. Before they knew it, it was Wednesday, 3 December, and their turn to read had arrived. And they hadn't even laid eyes on one another since that Sunday evening in mid-November . . .  
  
To be continued. 


	5. Beatrice & Benedick

Lecture Hall George Mason University Wednesday, 3 December 2003 19:15 Eastern  
  
AJ had dinner with Meredith at a local restaurant before coming to the reading. He was hoping to get seated early enough to pick a good seat and yet caught up in the throng of students, so that his officers wouldn't see him. He figured that they would be uncomfortable enough, but doing this in front of their C.O. would only exacerbate their nervousness.  
  
Bobbi, Sturgis, Coates and Tiner arrived just before the program was to start, and were surprised to see how crowded the large lecture hall was. They found seats near the back of the room, but had to sit separately as couples. Bobbi and Sturgis sat one row behind the petty officers. As Sturgis helped Bobbi slide her jacket off of her shoulders, she nudged him. "Oh, look," she sighed at the look Tiner was giving Coates as he helped her with her jacket. "Maybe playing Romeo and Juliet helped them along?" She wondered aloud.  
  
"Let's just hope that the Admiral doesn't end up feeling like he's on one side or another of the Montague - Capulet feud," Sturgis chuckled. "Speaking of whom . . . that's a familiar head, isn't it? On the far right side of the room, about halfway up?" He had spotted the Admiral.  
  
"Oh, my goodness," Bobbi breathed. "Harm and Mac are going to flip!"  
  
Meanwhile, Mac was already pretty agitated. She was standing outside of the lecture hall door on the lower floor with Meredith. Harm was nowhere to be found. He had called an hour earlier on his cell phone to say that he was held up at Pax River, but would be there in time for the start of the reading. Mac was dressed in a pair of corduroys and a sweater. At least she was comfortable physically. 'This is just great, we're off to a great start,' Mac thought. 'Talk about thinking on your feet!'  
  
With only minutes to spare, Harm rushed up the hallway to where they were waiting. He was still in his dress blues. He shed his overcoat and set it down on a desk in the hallway along with his cover, retrieving the text out of the pocket. "OK, let's get this show on the road," he said, flyboy grin in place. Meredith laughed and Mac rolled her eyes. She led the way into the room, not a little annoyed with him, no matter how cute he was, or thought he was.  
  
Meredith approached the podium and began her introduction, "I'm glad so many of you chose to join us for the last of our special readings. Tonight we will hear a scene from 'Much Ado About Nothing' read by Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie and Commander Harmon Rabb."  
  
Meredith wasn't going to include their ranks, but realizing that Harm was in uniform, it seemed appropriate. She included Mac's rank in order to keep them on an even footing. Whether it was real life, or Beatrice and Benedick, it would be a good idea if neither one had an advantage. Or, if one did, with the real life or fictional couples, you could bet that the advantage wouldn't last long!  
  
"The scene you are about to hear takes place immediately after an aborted wedding," Meredith explained. "The young couple, Hero and Claudio, were to be married. Misled by a villain, Claudio has accused Hero of allowing another man to take her virtue. He has rejected and abused her before their friends and family. The two characters we will hear from this evening are Beatrice, Hero's cousin, who knows her to be wronged, and Benedick, Claudio's good friend."  
  
"When we first met Beatrice and Benedick they hated each other," Meredith went on. "But their friends, including Hero and Claudio, conspired to bring them together. Without further, if you'll pardon the pun, ado, let us begin. Harm, Mac?" Meredith stepped back and allowed Harm and Mac to come forward.  
  
Harm and Mac moved to the podium and Harm began, "Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while?"  
  
Mac responded breathlessly, as the character is supposed to have been weeping, "Yea, and I will weep a while longer."  
  
"I will not desire that."  
  
"You have no reason; I do it freely." Mac's voice continued to be strained to convey Beatrice's distress.  
  
"Surely I do believe your fair cousin is wronged."  
  
"Ah! how much might the man deserve of me that would right her."  
  
"Is there any way to show such friendship?"  
  
"A very even way, but no such friend."  
  
"May a man do it?"  
  
"It is a man's office, but not yours."  
  
Harm had read the following words about 20 times in the last several weeks. He had read them aloud. He had read them with Mac. But he hadn't read them in front of anyone else; and certainly not a room of about 150 strangers. He stared at the words for a moment, then lifted his eyes to hers. She was staring at him, wondering why he was hesitating. He looked into those beautiful eyes, those same eyes that looked through him, through all his games and tricks. He wondered if she could see the truth in his eyes, see through him right then. In that brief moment, he realized that this was his chance. He could say exactly what he had always wanted to say, but never had the nerve to confess. He took a breath, and then said "I do love nothing in the world so well as you," he paused again. "Is not that strange?"  
  
Mac stopped too. What was he doing? Why was he looking at her like that? What was everyone thinking? 'Maybe they'll just think we're acting.' She prayed to herself. "As strange as the thing I know not. It were as possible for me to say I loved nothing so well as you; but believe me not, and yet I lie not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing. I am sorry for my cousin." She babbled, which was partly in character, and partly in reaction to Harm's piercing gaze. Well, that certainly conveyed her own level of confusion about her feelings with regard to Harm.  
  
They continued the dialogue, Mac finding her footing in spite of the way Harm was looking at her. It was Harm, but it wasn't. Who was he? Benedick? Was he being caught up in the story? Or playing a part? Or was he trying to tell her something?  
  
"I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest." Mac's eyes filled as she said the words. 'Oh great. Just what that flyboy ego needs, me going all gooey over a little romance in iambic pentameter.' Quickly she recovered her bearings and the reading continued.  
  
The remainder of the exchange focused on getting Benedick to challenge Claudio to avenge Hero, and the references to love were minimal. It was over in only a few minutes, but even in that time when Mac lifted her eyes from the book to look at Harm she found he was already looking at her intently, as if he couldn't look away.  
  
When the reading was finished with Benedick's farewell to Beatrice, the students rose to applaud enthusiastically as they had done with the reading of Romeo and Juliet. While standing there, taking their bow without bowing, Mac again stole a look at Harm, She was surprised to find he was not looking out at the audience, but still staring at her. Not only that, but he caught her looking at him, and now she couldn't look away. Neither noticed that the applause had dwindled and Meredith was approaching them to speak to them briefly before speaking to the students about their assignment.  
  
"Harm, Mac," she said to them in a happy voice. "That was wonderful, everyone reall . . ." She stopped when she realized that they weren't listening to her. They didn't appear to hear or see anything or anyone. It was as if they were in another world. "Harm? Mac?" she continued with a concerned look on her face.  
  
For his part, Harm could have been on another planet, he was so overcome with his feelings for Mac. He couldn't stop starring at her. He was afraid to break the spell. She was looking at him, now, too, and similarly afflicted. Her doe eyes were boring holes in to his, her lips slightly parted. God, she was made to be kissed. He heard something, someone calling him. 'Leave me alone, I want to talk to Mac, I want to be with Mac,' his mind fought with reality.  
  
"HARM!" Meredith practically shouted.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, were you speaking to me?"  
  
TBC . . . 


	6. A rose by any other name

Disclaimers: See Chapter 1  
  
Who Is He This Time? 6/? Author: Another Tracy  
  
Chapter 6  
  
George Mason University Parking lot Wednesday, 3 December 2003 21:00 Eastern  
  
Their feet crunched in the gravel and snow on the pavement as they left the building. Snow had fallen while they were indoors and the ground had a light covering. It was still coming down, albeit lightly. Neither one spoke. They didn't touch. They weren't very close together as they walked. Their heads were down; they were lost in thought. Their friends had all left earlier; Harm and Mac stayed briefly to talk to Meredith and the Admiral.  
  
'What happened tonight?' Harm asked himself, lost in his thoughts of Mac and the words that had passed between them. Someone else's words. He hadn't given much thought to the reading, truth be told. He was unprepared for a "performance" and, obviously, unprepared for how the lines would mirror his own feelings. 'I do love nothing in the world so well as Sarah,' he thought.  
  
"Can I talk you into a cup of cocoa at Starbucks?" He asked Mac without looking at her.  
  
She looked over to see his head down as he walked. "Sure, that sounds great," she smiled. She knew that the reading had affected him much as it had her. And, like him, she didn't know what to do about it.  
  
While Harm stood at the bar getting their cocoa, Mac settled into a chair and unzipped her jacket, loosened her scarf and pulled off her mittens. She looked up at him, standing in profile to her. God, he was so beautiful. He was gorgeous every minute of every day, but if there was ever a man to wear a uniform, it was Harmon Rabb, Jr. 'I love him with so much of my heart . . . ' she thought of the words she had spoken earlier in the evening.  
  
Harm was back in the same place he'd been immediately after the reading. It was so easy when they were someone else's words, spoken while playing a part. Mac obviously loved this stuff. She got all mushy during the "Romeo & Juliet" reading. He always knew she liked Shakespeare, but he hadn't realized how much. He hadn't read much of the classics since his days in English Lit at the Academy. Maybe it was time to crack open one of those books again?  
  
Harm brought their drinks to the table, looking at Mac with a warm smile. She looked up at him with the same twinkle in her eye. "Thanks, Harm," she said. They settled in comfortably, chatting about Meredith and the Admiral, Sturgis and Bobbie, and even Tiner and Coates. Every couple or potential couple . . . except themselves.  
  
JAG HQ Falls Church, VA Friday, 5 December 2003 11:00 Eastern  
  
The delivery boy stopped at Harriet's desk to ask directions. "Sarah Mackenzie?" Harriet questioned, looking at the bouquet in his hands. "The Colonel's office is right there." She pointed to Mac's office, which was empty. "She's in court right now, if you need me to sign for the flowers." The delivery boy left the form for Harriet to sign, put the flowers in the office, and picked up the form from Harriet on his way out.  
  
A half hour later the elevator bell signaled its arrival and Harriet turned to see Mac get off the elevator. She stood quickly and excitedly waited for Mac to enter the bullpen. "You got flowers, ma'am!" She bubbled.  
  
Mac raised an eyebrow, wondering if Harriet could be mistaken. Sure enough, there were flowers on her desk. It was a large, lovely arrangement in a vase. A mixture of several types of flowers, noticeably with red roses sprinkled throughout the bouquet. She bent to sniff their delicate fragrance. Harriet stood at the door, practically bouncing up and down. "Is there a card, ma'am?"  
  
Mac picked the card out of the center of the bouquet and saw her name on the front 'Sarah Mackenzie'. She looked up at Harriet. "That will be all, Lt."  
  
Harriet's face fell. Mac felt a little guilty disappointing her, but until she read the card herself, she wouldn't want to chance someone else seeing her reaction. Mac stepped around the desk as Harriet left her office, shoulders slumped. She'd make it up to her later, she thought, as she closed the door. She looked over at her partner's empty office. He was in Norfolk for the day.  
  
She opened the card, but it wasn't the usual florist note card. It was a folded up piece of paper, like a letter. She opened it and found a typewritten message with no signature.  
  
"I cannot speak enough of this content. It stops me here; it is too much joy. And this, and this, the greatest discords be That e'er our hearts did make!"  
  
What was that from? It was familiar, definitely Shakespeare. More importantly, WHO was it from? 'Harm?' she wondered. If so, WHY? Well, if it was him, it was very sweet. Should she question him? Or should she wait to see if he reacts? Mmmmhhhhh . . . choices, choices. Oh, hell, better not to step out onto that emotional limb with him again. If he has something to say, it's up to him to say it.  
  
She put the note in her purse, and went to lunch.  
  
Mac's Apartment Georgetown Saturday, 6 December 2003 14:00 Eastern  
  
A knock at the door pulled her away from the book she was reading about fossils. She looked through the peephole to see a delivery man, a kid, really, standing outside with a box. She pulled the door open.  
  
"Sarah Mackenzie?" the young man queried.  
  
"Yes, I'm Sarah," Mac responded with a curious tone in her voice.  
  
"Sign here," he held out a pen and clipboard for her to sign. As she signed she said, "I'm not expecting anything, what is it?"  
  
"I don't know lady; I just deliver 'em."  
  
"Thank you," Mac said as she took the box from him. "Oh, wait!" She hurried back to her purse, grabbed a couple of ones and gave them to the kid.  
  
"Thanks," and he disappeared down the hallway to the stairs.  
  
The box was marked "Jann's Sweet Shop" and it was square but somewhat flat. It didn't weigh much, but Mac didn't shake it, since she wasn't sure what was in it. She took it to the kitchen table and set it down. She picked up the scissors and proceeded to cut the string holding the box shut. As she lifted the lid, she gasped, and then smiled.  
  
It was a chocolate cake, her favorite thing in the world. Written on top were the words "A rose by any other name." Well, that was an easy one to trace. As she started to lift the cake she noticed there was a white envelope underneath the cardboard plate which held the cake. She set the cake aside and picked out the envelope. It wasn't sealed, and her name was written on the front. The handwriting looked suspiciously familiar. The message inside was in the same hand:  
  
"So are you to my thoughts as food to life, Or as sweet-season'd showers are to the ground; And for the peace of you I hold such strife As 'twixt a miser and his wealth is found; Now proud as an enjoyer, and anon Doubting the filching age will steal his treasure; Now counting best to be with you alone, Then better'd that the world may see my pleasure; Sometimes all full with feasting on your sight, And by and by clean starved for a look; Possessing or pursuing no delight, Save what is had or must from you be took. Thus do I pine and surfeit day by day . . ."  
  
Mac dropped the page to the table, the blush creeping up her neck to her face. Her eyes stung with tears for just a moment, and she rubbed her nose with the back of her hand. What had gotten into him?  
  
Of course it was Harm. She'd know the handwriting anywhere. Of course it was Will, although she wasn't sure which of his sonnets it was. Whichever one it was, WOW, he picked a good one! Setting aside the effort that he had taken to find the sonnet, to write it out, to get the cake, to have the 'rose' sentiment put on the cake, and to send it to her, she was overwhelmed by the intimacy of it. It was something you did for someone that you . . . loved? So this means . . . what?  
  
She didn't really talk about her love of literature. She knew that he knew she liked to read, but she had really only started getting interested in the classics in the last few years. So he picked up on her reaction to the play readings, which was so sweet. And now he was using this information to woo her? Could it actually get any better than this?  
  
Her eyes filled again. 'What should I do? Should I call him to thank him? Am I supposed to know it's him? Will I just scare him away again? God knows, the man's like a skittish horse about to be broken to saddle. Do I play it cool?' The answer was postponed with another knock on the door.  
  
This time, the peephole revealed the man himself. 'Damn! I didn't even get a chance to formulate a strategy, develop a plan, establish an escape route, shave my legs! OK, Mackenzie, now you are babbling in your own head.' She pushed her hair back from her face, threw her shoulders back, and opened the door with a show of considerably more confidence than she actually felt.  
  
To be continued . . . 


	7. Harm makes his move Conclusion

Disclaimers: See Chapter 1  
  
Who Is He This Time? Conclusion Author: Another Tracy  
  
Harm stood before her door, his hand poised to knock again. His left hand was behind his back, a red rosebud in between his thumb and index finger. He brought his hand down for a moment and brushed the sweaty palm against his denim-covered pant leg. He was more nervous than he had been before the crowd of students earlier in the week; more than he had ever been in a courtroom; or even on the receiving end of a tirade from the Admiral. He was about to lay it all on the line.  
  
He had decided to use the knowledge he had gained over the last few months; to put it to work for him in finally making his move on one Sarah Mackenzie. He spent Thursday night in the library searching for something to go with the flowers that were delivered on Friday. He finally settled on a quote in "Othello" in which the lead character speaks of his love for Desdemona.  
  
Friday night he discovered that the library closed early, so he went to the nearest bookstore and coughed up the cost of the Bard's collected works. They might as well have charged him by the pound! The volume was expensive, and it was massive. But it was worth it, as it would serve him as the 'how to snare Sarah Mackenzie' toolkit.  
  
That night he wrote out in long hand the sonnet that he found to include with the cake. He figured if the sonnet didn't do it, the cake was a good fall-back. She might be able to resist him, but not Jann's chocolate cake. After his morning run and a quick shower, he ran out to the Sweet Shop to arrange the delivery of the cake he'd ordered the day before and to give them the letter to enclose.  
  
He returned to his apartment to bury his nose in the book. He remembered something romantic from a video Mac had made him sit through a couple of years ago, and decided to start with that. He'd spent the rest of the morning 'learning his lines'. He wasn't sure he was quite ready, but he figured that he could stall all day, or seize the day. And so here he was: rosebud (check); lump in throat (check); sweaty palms (check); no real plan in the event that she tosses him out on his six (check, and double- check).  
  
He raised his hand again to knock when the door flew open. Mac stood before him with a brilliant smile. "Hi, Harm!" she said. She grabbed his arm, still outstretched from his knocking, and pulled him into the apartment. "Come on in!" She closed the door behind him, then came back around to look at him, still smiling. "What's up?"  
  
OK, this wasn't part of the plan. Why was she so happy? 'The cake, you moron, and the verse!' Oh, right. He had set the stage to make sure she was in a good mood, and completely forgotten that it WAS part of the plan!  
  
He was silent for just a moment, thrown off his game. Mac couldn't help but think he had that same "deer in the headlights" look he got every time they tried to have a serious discussion. 'Uh-oh. What's up now?' she wondered, her smile fading a little as worry began to settle in her chest.  
  
Harm saw her face fall, and decided it was now or never.  
  
"Fair Sarah, and most fair, will you vouchsafe to teach a sailor terms such as will enter at a lady's ear, and plead his love-suit to her gentle heart?" he said softly, sliding his arm down so that he took her hand in his, lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of it. As he raised his head, he brought his left hand around in front of him and handed her the small red rosebud.  
  
To say that Mac was stunned would be putting it mildly. Struck dumb, she took the rosebud. Her eyes wide and round, she looked up at him, her lips parted just slightly. Harm was transfixed by the sight of those soft, luscious lips. He cleared his throat and fought the blush that started to rise from where his thoughts were headed. He started again, "O fair Sarah, if you will love me soundly with your Marine heart, I will be glad to hear you confess it. Do you like me Sarah?"  
  
Mac still had not spoken, but she recognized the dialogue from the last scene of Henry V. 'Sailor? Marine heart, huh? Nice touch, squid.' She had made Harm sit through the movie with her one night. He had done so begrudgingly, but he changed his mind after hearing Henry's speech to the troops before the battle of Agincourt. Unfortunately, she couldn't remember this scene well enough to know what she might say. After all, the character in the play is French, and doesn't actually understand him. That's it! She purred back to Harm, "Pardonnez-moi, I cannot tell what is 'like me'."  
  
Harm smiled, "An angel is like you, Sarah, and you are like an angel."  
  
Mac was again unable to speak, partly because she couldn't remember what the rest of the lines were, but also by the expression on Harm's face, the light in his eyes. She'd seen that look before, but only fleetingly. Could his eyes be saying . . . ?  
  
"I' faith, Sarah, my wooing is fit for thy understanding. I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say 'I love you:' then if you urge me further than to say 'do you in faith?' I wear out my suit. Give me your answer, I' faith, do: and so clap hands and a bargain: how say you, lady?"  
  
He put his hand out to her as if to shake on it, and Mac smiled but did not take his hand. The moment was a variation on their very first meeting. If memory served her correctly about this particular part of the play, she didn't have to say anything. He could continue without her answer; but would he?  
  
Harm moved a step closer to her, and brought his outstretched hand down to slide around her waist, and his other hand did the same, until she was wrapped tightly in his arms. She brought her hands up, one clutching the rosebud, the palm of the other against his chest. She looked down for a moment, and then up again, into those eyes that looked right through her.  
  
"A good leg will fall; a straight back will stoop," he said the words in little more than a whisper, but she heard every syllable. "A black beard will turn white; a fair face will wither; but a good heart, Sarah, is the sun and the moon. Or rather, the sun and not the moon, for it shines bright and never changes, but keeps its course truly. If thou would have such a one, take me; and take me, take a sailor; take a sailor, take a man," these words were a caress as he kissed her cheek softly and brought his mouth close to her ear to whisper even more softly. "And what sayest thou to my love?"  
  
Mac's arms came up around Harm's neck as she hugged him to her for just a moment. She pulled back and put the rosebud in the button hole of his sport coat lapel. She looked into his eyes again, and saw not only his love for her, but her own love for him reflected there.  
  
She stood on tiptoe to meet him as he brought his lips down to hers. Soft, gentle, warm. She remembered every kiss they had ever shared, but this one was like no other. There was no mistletoe, no one waiting for them in the next room, no question about who was kissing who. The kiss deepened as their tongues explored one another's mouth. They finally broke for air, Harm's forehead resting against hers.  
  
"You have witchcraft in your lips, Sarah," he said breathlessly. "There is more eloquence in a sugar touch of them than in the tongues of . . . than the tongues of . . . " he looked a little panicked having forgotten what would come next. He brought his head up, the nervous look he had when he arrived returning to his face.  
  
Mac smiled. "It's ok, flyboy, I think you've said quite enough," and pulled him down for another kiss.  
  
The end 


End file.
